To mark the official opening of the exhibition “Disturbance in the Nile: Modern and contemporary art from Sudan,” the exhibition’s curator and three of the artists will be taking part in a round table discussion.

After the popular uprising that led to the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir in 2019, the capital of Sudan, Khartoum, experienced a large increase in the number of galleries promoting the work of Sudanese artists, and pop-up art became widespread throughout the country. The amazing murals created during the revolution formed part of a short-lived boom which ended bitterly with the outbreak of another war on April 15, 2023. Up to now, that conflict has resulted in mass displacement and uncertainty for more than 10.5 million people in Sudan.

“Disturbance in the Nile” lives up to its name. The works brought together in this exhibition were taken out of Sudan days before the current upheaval and have found refuge in southern Europe, initially in Lisbon and now in Madrid. The exhibition represents an effort to affirm that, even when lives and homes are torn away from a community, the people’s collective voice and expression cannot be silenced.

The lack of knowledge about what is occurring in this unique country, the “nation of the two Niles,” provides an opportunity to go on a journey through modern and contemporary art by viewing the work of eleven Sudanese artists, most from Khartoum.

The round table discussion organized by Casa Árabe prior to the official opening event for the exhibition, will be attended by three of the artists: Rashid Diab, Eltayeb Dawelbait and Bakri Moaz, along with one of the curators, Rahiem Shadad, who was responsible for selecting the works, in collaboration with António Pinto Ribeiro of Portugal. Introduced by: Karim Hauser, coordinator of Casa Árabe’s Cultural Programs.

Further information: https://en.casaarabe.es/event/disturbance-in-the-nile-sudan%E2%80%99s-artistic-revolution

Image: Bakri Moaz